As interest in the application of plasma medicine -- the use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) created by an electrical discharge to address medical problems -- continues to grow, so does the need for research advancements proving its capabilities and potential impacts on the health care industry. Across the world, many research groups are investigating plasma medicine for applications including cancer treatment and the accelerated healing of chronic wounds, among others.

Inspired by the biomechanics of cheetahs, researchers have developed a new type of soft robot that is capable of moving more quickly on solid surfaces or in the water than previous generations of soft robots. The new soft robotics are also capable of grabbing objects delicately -- or with sufficient strength to lift heavy objects.

The following is a brief roundup of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

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Infection rates among NHS workers tested for Covid-19 were no higher for those treating patients face-to-face than for staff in non-clinical roles, a new study has found.

Earth's insect population has shrunk by 27 per cent in the past 30 years, researchers have found.

Flamingos form long-lasting friendships and some "behave like married couples", according to new research.

Nearly 18,000 more people could die from cancer over the next year in England due to the impact of coronavirus, experts have warned.

Microplastics pollution is causing disruption and behavioural changes among hermit crab populations, researchers have claimed.

People worried about becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 are increasingly stressed by talk over easing of the lockdown, according to research.

British people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities are two to three times more likely to die from coronavirus, new research has found.

A solar-driven hydrogen-producing machine that makes more copies of itself.

One month after the debut of the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset, or CORD-19, the database of coronavirus-related research papers has doubled in size – and has given rise to more than a dozen software tools to channel the hundreds of studies that are being published every day about the pandemic. In a roundup published on the ArXiv preprint server this week, researchers from Seattle's Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Research and other partners in the project say CORD-19's collection has risen from about 28,000 papers to more than 52,000. Every day, several hundred more papers are being published, in… Read More

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) put off its regular $275-million competition this spring to focus on delivering federal grants related to the novel coronavirus.

Australian scientists also working to evaluate extent of immunity to virus among public

DNA blueprint 50-per-cent responsible for presentation of key coronavirus symptoms, study finds

AN OXFORDSHIRE business is offering a platform for scientists to share their research on coronavirus.

It is feared that daily drinkers could be most at risk

UK population is suffering from 'high levels of psychological distress', according to the research

Sara Cherry, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania, feels safer at work than almost anywhere else. That’s because she works inside a biosafety level 3 laboratory on the Penn campus in Philadelphia, where she is the scientific director of the High-Throughput Screening Core.

A U of S researcher says there is no evidence that COVID-19 jumped to humans from bats.

WeChat is one of the world’s most popular apps, but researchers at the University of Toronto caution it is surveilling international users and using their information to broaden censorship on the app in China.

A St. John’s genetics specialist has found DNA connections that link the long-vanished Beothuk people to contemporary people, almost two centuries after the last known Beothuk died. 

As businesses in the United States slowly begin reopening, researchers in Pennsylvania are turning to dogs to help them fend off a second wave of COVID-19.

New documents raise questions over UNSW's investigation of its star cancer researcher, Levon Khachigian.

Fines for cyclists who do not wear helmets in New South Wales are more expensive than anywhere else in Australia, and should be drastically lowered, according to university researchers.

MORNING BRIEFING: Temperatures are set to soar to over 30 degrees Celsius in some places as firefighters stare down a difficult 48 hours on the east coast. Plus a Russian national is wanted for a double stabbing in Sydney's south.

Researchers found a security flaw in Zoom's "Waiting Room" feature that could have allowed users to access a video meeting even if they were not approved to join a call. Zoom said Wednesday it had fixed the issue.

Inspired by the biomechanics of cheetahs, researchers have developed a new type of soft robot that is capable of moving more quickly on solid surfaces or in the water than previous generations of soft robots. The new soft robotics are also capable of grabbing objects delicately -- or with sufficient strength to lift heavy objects.

MERS, which struck South Korea in a 2015 outbreak, was caused by a coronavirus--the same family of viruses that is responsible for COVID-19. Recently, a Korean research team announced that it had developed a new vaccine platform using RNA-based adjuvants for the MERS coronavirus. The research team successfully conducted an experiment on nonhuman primates. It is expected that the new vaccine platform will soon be applicable to the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, an urgent global health priority.

The Monte Conca cave system in Sicily is showing signs of being altered by pollution from above.

Computerized tomography (CT) is one of the most effective medical tests for analysing the effects of many illnesses, including COVID-19. An international team has developed a new method that improves the quality of the images obtained from CT scans. The algorithm, tested on simulated data, enables them to distinguish different body's tissue types better and opens the door to lowering the doses of radiation to which patients are exposed during this type of test.

As interest in the application of plasma medicine -- the use of low-temperature plasma (LTP) created by an electrical discharge to address medical problems -- continues to grow, so does the need for research advancements proving its capabilities and potential impacts on the health care industry. Across the world, many research groups are investigating plasma medicine for applications including cancer treatment and the accelerated healing of chronic wounds, among others.

It is hoped the development will accelerate the search for promising new drug targets and treatments.

Investigators will use the money to pinpoint the optimal amount of exercise needed after joint injury to reduce inflammation, speed healing, and minimize osteoarthritis.
Medscape Medical News

A new study has found the oil and gas industry has had a far worse impact on the climate than previously believed.

Logic suggests a coronavirus slump may provide a window of opportunity for first homebuyers to enter the market. But a new report suggests the opposite may be true.

The NRL cancels the registrations of Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera after they brought two young women back to the team hotel during a preseason trip.

Dalhousie professor says the heat has been altering marine ecosystems, harming fisheries and killing various species — and the phenomenon is likely to continue.

Experts discuss recent cancellation of first-in-class drug

BIO is hosting a Translation Research Forum at the BIO International Convention.  NIH Director Collins keynotes an event that will explore how private, public and academic sectors can leverage meaningful partnerships, highlight emerging best practices, explore risk-sharing at the clinical research stage, and explore ways to bridge the gap in funding and know-how necessary to take […]

The Scottish government has given funds £101,903 to support the project

The genetic mutations that cause epilepsy don’t stop there. Praxis Precision Medicines CEO Marcio Souza says research also links these genes to other neurological conditions. The biotech startup is turning that research into new neuro drugs and it’s coming out of stealth to share details about its science and its pipeline, which already has two […]

CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society, has released a dataset of chemical compounds with known or potential antiviral capabilities.

The group will work to rapidly develop guidance on standardizing COVID-19 research data, with the help of several participating member companies.

Led by Medable, the multi-company effort is geared toward ramping up development of treatments, diagnostics and other solutions for the pandemic-causing virus.

The research collaboration will seek to identify candidate biomarkers for a group of inflammatory conditions, using AI and other advanced technology.

The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) highlights contributions to health and economy (Leeds, UK) – Facing unprecedented challenges associated with Brexit,...

The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) convenes discussion series that seeks to advance an industry with important health and economic impacts...

On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, ACRO hosted a Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill. With the help of the Congressional Research & Development...